Friday, January 27, 2006

The Rogue Hooded Pullover!

Life filled with wool if a good life.
You know this feeling when your wheel is busy and your needles are busy and the world is full of new skeins and projects and ideas...
The sun is shining at all your wool chores.
And with the good energy flowing...
You get to clean the house little bit here and there.
You think your teenagers are the best even when you look around your kitchen after they have had their breakfast there and left for school - in a hurry.
When the dog howls in the middle of the night and wakes you up you are delighted to be awake because then you are able to think about your dear wool a bit more.
All this good just because you have new and inspiring things around the corner...
You keep smiling while you are cleaning the bathroom because you've brought your new project to the same room to be able to steal a glance at your new wool love.
You do your grocery shopping with a new-sock-on-the-needles in your bag and every now and then you have to take a peek into your bag to see it is there and to absorb the good vibrations from it.
While showeling snow, very heavy snow, you take your project outside to be able to admire the color in day light.
Far gone are the dull and desperate moments when nothing seems to inspire or work.

Here. Rogue Hooded Pullover finished and photographed. This is where all the good started. I sewed the sleeves, put on the new pullover and liked it the very moment. And felt joy.
And was inspired to make use of the green Catania and I cast on for another Pivocoli. Why again? I'll only say, the pattern works, it is simple to do, and I love my blue Pivocoli and have used it a lot. Knitting this again I can refine the fit little more and hopefully in the end I'll have something to wear. I try to remind myself every now and then of my motto Wear Thy Knitting.
When I had Pivocoli going I cast on for socks. This is a Birch Leaf Sock by Nancy Bush from the book A Gathering of Lace. Yarn is Lanett Superwash which feels very soft, maybe even too soft for socks?? The pattern is lovely and interesting.
The spinning. Here on the left is Koigu and on the right my skein of pure Merino. My handspun is heavier than Koigu, I have 145 m in 50 grams where Koigu has 160 m. I'm almost there.
Here another picture with variegated Koigu.
If I wanted to I could ask myself a question why should ! be able to produce yarn like Koigu since I can buy Koigu? I don't want to ask but if I did, I would answer to myself because I would like to say to myself: "I need to spin some good sock yarn" and then be able to do so.

All this and Friday today. I have a lot to be happy about.

PS. Did someone mention a city called Turku the other day? It is the most lovely city in Finland, we used to live there and all my girls were born in Turku and I have some very dear friends there.

PS. The pronunciation advice applies to all words in Finnish.

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous15:11

    What an inspiring post! your Rogue looks lovely, and so does the almost-koigu yarn. And though I am Portuguese, I have a niece who was born in Helsinki...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used the Lannett Superwash for another Nancy Bush pattern - the Chalet Socks in Folks Socks - and so far they are holding up really well, even though they are soft.

    All sorts of beautiful knitting today!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your Rogue is stunning! I've had the pattern for over a year but have yet to decide the yarn I want to use for it.

    I'm happy to hear Theresa say the Lannet holds up well, I'm knitting socks in it too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You finished Rogue so quickly? Wow! It's lovely, and I hope you will model it for us one of these days. :-)

    I smiled in recognition at the "wool chores". I haven't brought wool into the bathroom on cleaning day yet, but I do love having it in my bag when I am out and about. And I keep sock yarn in my bedside table so I can admire it before I go to sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous20:55

    Your Rogue hoodie is absolutely gorgeous! I'm knitting some rather plain hoodies for my daughter and her girlfriend (at the same time, same circular needles) and I became tempted to knit myself one as well. I like your pattern much more though. Beautifully done.

    As for spinning, I, too, want to be able to improve my spinning to be of commercial quality. Why? Better question: why not? It's a spinning zen moment when I can get my spun yarn to resemble a finely done commercial yarn.

    Oh, and I literally have a knitting project in every room in the house except the kitchen (well, when I'm not dyeing yarn, that is). I generally keep a newly spun skein of yarn by my bed. I carry an overnight bag with knitting in it everywhere I go. No matter how tired, irritated, etc. I may be, a quick peek in the bag always makes me feel better, or at least gives me something good to look forward to.

    Obsessive? Who, me?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous23:25

    I thought I was strange this morning because, just as I got ready to leave the house for work, I had to stop and look at a Fair Isle swatch I am working on, just because. But now that I know you take little peeks at your knitting, I know I am not alone!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous23:32

    I like the way you think Lene and I love the way you knit! Rogue - lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous23:44

    Rogue is stunning Lene ! It looks so neat. No wonder you are happy! Keep surrounding yourself with wool, the results are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous00:54

    I'll try the wool therapy too, keeping all day long a skein of soft yarn in my bag. thanks for this good idea. Beautiful Rogue (as usual), it seems warm and comfortable, no wonder you love it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your yarn looks very much like Koigu. I bet it feels wonderful! I am impressed!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous05:56

    Now and again I check your Blog. What luck today to see your lovely Rogue finished. What a beautiful job you did. Gratitude is uplifting and indeed you have much to be grateful for. Each of my stitches as I am knitting is a small Thank you to the universe for all that I have and all that is on it's way to me. Life is very good.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous16:14

    Täysin samaa mieltä kanssasi Suomen ihanimmasta kaupungista! Perheeni viidestä jäsenestä kaksi on syntynyt siellä, itse olen viettänyt siellä 25/31 -osaa elämästäni.
    Tosin nyt muutaman kuukauden kokemuksella Vihti on saavuttamassa tuota asemaa, jonka ennen luulin kuuluvan ainoastaan Turulle!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous17:54

    The hooded pullover is beautiful. I got my first tutorial on using my new dpns. I still feel like I am trying to use a pencil or chopsticks for the first time. But I will practice!

    May we see the socks when they are finished?

    Marie N.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lene I have the Rogue pattern too and haven't decided yet if I wanted to knit it until I saw how beautiful yours is.

    Your spun wool looks exactly like the koigu!

    I really enjoyed todays post you are very inspiring!

    By the way have you seen this rogue pattern? I thought one day I may try it.

    http://community.livejournal.com/advanced_knit/192178.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. your rogue sweater is spectacular! I have just begun to read your blog. I looked at your finished items for 2005 and was absolutely stunned by the shawls. What fabulous treasures you made!! Are the patterns in finnish or in icelandic?

    ReplyDelete